homesteading...farming.....survival techniques

I want more than anything to have a little "farmette" - but with hubby being reliant on public transportation (he's blind), that's not gonna happen, at least until he retires.

Meanwhile, almost every food item we buy is from local farmers. There are co-ops galore around here. Most deliver to a central location (someone's house) but a couple deliver to your house. I also have a huge organic veggie garden and lots of fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.

Keep it coming! I love to drool over others' stories and pics.

I know what you mean Lynn,

This thread is making me want to move even more.

Chickens - Who knew one could get so excited about chickens.

I'm excited about chickens and other livestock~ obviously~ but

Originally Posted by timebider

I also have a huge organic veggie garden and lots of fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.

I did pretty good with my gardens in both Nebraska and California~ but since we've moved here I have just had some miserable gardens! Not sure what my problem is~ but on the idea that perhaps the soil could use some help I went ahead and left the barn bedded pretty deaply and let the manure and bedding (hay and pine shavings) mulch under fresh bedding all year (the mulching bedding also added some heat to the barn in the coldest of winter~ think I'll do the same next year). The last couple weeks I've been working on digging down to the good stuff and putting it in the garden. The chickens are spreading the piles around~ I'll till them in soon~ we'll see how I do this year. But I'd love to see some of you gardeners post about your tricks for great produce, and most especially weed control ~OMG the Weeds here are IMPOSSIBLE to stay ahead of! Much worse than any other garden I've ever had!!

Originally Posted by Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

I'm excited about chickens and other livestock~ obviously~ but



I did pretty good with my gardens in both Nebraska and California~ but since we've moved here I have just had some miserable gardens! Not sure what my problem is~ but on the idea that perhaps the soil could use some help I went ahead and left the barn bedded pretty deaply and let the manure and bedding (hay and pine shavings) mulch under fresh bedding all year (the mulching bedding also added some heat to the barn in the coldest of winter~ think I'll do the same next year). The last couple weeks I've been working on digging down to the good stuff and putting it in the garden. The chickens are spreading the piles around~ I'll till them in soon~ we'll see how I do this year. But I'd love to see some of you gardeners post about your tricks for great produce, and most especially weed control ~OMG the Weeds here are IMPOSSIBLE to stay ahead of! Much worse than any other garden I've ever had!!

These was my first attempt at gardening a couple of seasons ago.
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=140175

Looks like some of my pictures were lost in that thread. I'll see if i can dig them up.

I had around three hundred pumpkins. A lot of tomatoes, and squash coming out my ears for months.

Rabbits and chickens sure did eat good.


From what I read pumpkin seeds are a natural dewormer for chickens. They sure ate a lot that year.

I've read that pumpkins are great for just about everything~ I did pumpkins back in California and they did great~ so great one year that I accidently got a second crop coming up from some missed squash plants that were in the same area and accidently wound up with a pumpkin squash hybrid....cool looking~ taste nasty!

So last year I planted several in a small hill in the garden. ONE plant came up~ it was a struggle to keep it from being overcome by weeds~ it produced TWO pumpkins that developed blossom end rot and were gross......

Tomatos seem to be destined to both early and late blight no matter where I plant them. The strawberries seemed to be doing ok~ then the entire patch just up and died last fall! Don't know what the asparagus are going to do but I'm afraid to hope for anything good.

Originally Posted by porkchop48

I know what you mean Lynn,

This thread is making me want to move even more.

Chickens - Who knew one could get so excited about chickens.

Oh, it's easy to get excited about chickens! I get a catalog from Murray McMurray's every year, and I always go through circling the breeds I like best. I'm a huge fool for anything "heirloom" - be it tomatoes, apples or chickens (or whatever else).

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html

Originally Posted by Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

Tomatos seem to be destined to both early and late blight no matter where I plant them. The strawberries seemed to be doing ok~ then the entire patch just up and died last fall! Don't know what the asparagus are going to do but I'm afraid to hope for anything good.

Ironically, I killed all four of my tomato plants that I tried in those horrid "topsy turvy" planters last season; but all of the ones I grew from seed in my raised garden beds (using a homemade mix of equal parts compost, peat moss and vermiculite) went absolutely gangbusters. I never sprayed them with a thing, and watering was very inconsistent at times, but they thrived. They were still actively fruiting in October! It took a heavy frost to finally convince them to quit.

The thing I can't figure out with tomatoes is how to grow grape tomatoes. I planted several varietals of grape 'maters last year, hoping one of them at least would "work," but every single bush grew cherry-size tomatoes - some even larger. I had someone tell me it was because my soil was too rich. I also get full sun all day in the garden area.

Strawberries? I hate plants that grow runners, and have found that the ones my kids and I like best are those little "alpine" strawberries. They're hard to find in garden stores, but the fruits are like little pieces of candy, they're so sweet. I love the fact that we can go outside and eat fruit right off the bushes because I know exactly how they've grown and that nothing has ever been sprayed on them. The alpines are very hardy, too, as well as resistant and/or unattractive to slugs. You can't kill those if you try.

I'll check out Alpine~ I actually think I may have seen that name at the TSC today. Is it a June bearer or Ever Bearer? I am considering going with Ozark because it seems to be a pretty reliable Ever Bearer producer in this area but no reason I can't do two varieties.
Thanks

Originally Posted by timebider

Oh, it's easy to get excited about chickens! I get a catalog from Murray McMurray's every year, and I always go through circling the breeds I like best. I'm a huge fool for anything "heirloom" - be it tomatoes, apples or chickens (or whatever else).

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html

Yes, I have been planting all heirloom seeds myself. That's all I want to grow. I have saved seeds the last couple of years for storage.

Heritage breed animals are what I desire too.

My first chickens and turkeys came from McMurray. I was very satisfied with their service.

We did farm/homestead chickens, ducks, geese, gunies, rabbits, cows, pigs, cows and goats. I have made our own butter, cheese (still do when I can get fresh milk), bread from fresh ground wheat. I miss it but living with wood heat only got a little to hard on old bones.
We still have five acres and are considering going back to the land.
I am also thinking of raising rabbits for food and fertilizer.